Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Bettie's List-Lydia JACKSON Chickasaw Freedwoman # 391

Someone named FRANKOS posted a comment and an inquiry about their ancestor; Lydia LOVE-JACKSON. As it happens Lydia and her children are complainants in Equity Case 7071 and it allows me to draw attention to a pet genealogical project I have been doing for many years. It is hopefully a teaching moment.

The Dawes Commission handicapped the former slaves in Indian Territory known as freedmen from the beginning by not properly conducting AND recording their interviews for land allotments and citizenship in the tribes of their birth. For the most part, the majority of the people who were placed on the Freedman roll and sought a transfer will discover their jackets are nothing more than a summarization of the oral interview taken to establish their rights as “Citizens by blood” at the time of the Dawes enrollment process.

You should also know that because the Chickasaw Nations continues to hold the proposition; Chickasaws “never adopted” their former slaves and anyone on the Freedmen Roll is not entitled to citizenship. However, I support your attempts to fight the good fight!

Frank, you appear to be descended from a woman who was involved in the Equity 7071 lawsuit that involved approximately two thousand people who sought a transfer from the Choctaw and/or Chickasaw Freedmen rolls. In 1907 they sued the two tribes along with the Department of the Interior for twenty million dollars which was calculated to be the value of land they should have received had they been declared to possess the “Indian blood” of their father’s.

You ask about the Chickasaw LOVE’S and you are probably aware that it is Ben LOVE who is purported to be the father of Lydia (LOVE) JACKSON b. about 1824. If you have not done so, you should look for Lydia AND her siblings in the 1900 census of Indian Territory. It is highly plausible that Sarah came to Indian Territory with Colonel Benjamin LOVE circa 1840 as a slave. There was a notation on Sarah’s Card indicating she died in 1899 and probably never received her land allotment.

Don Martini: Who was Who Among Southern Indians a genealogical notebook 1698-1907 pp399-401

Click on the images to enlarged them

Because I have focused on the claimants in “Bettie’s List” I was aware of Lydia JACKSON and her children for some time. If you are not aware of the Joe PERRY Database located at the National Archives at Dallas Fort Worth, you should check it out.

I believe there are at least three files contained in this database that apply to Lydia JACKSON Chickasaw Freedman Card # 391; and her children Frank Chickasaw Freedmen Card # 394, Josie Chickasaw Freedman Card # 392, John Chickasaw Freedman Card # 393 and do not forget the file on Jenny DAVIDSON; Chickasaw Freedman Card # 390; who generated additional records with case numbers 49, and I believe case files 169 and 170. Over the years I’ve tried to collected and obtain all the records of all the people on “Bettie’s List” these are not in my possession. If they are relevant to your research and you obtain them, I would appreciate a copy to add too my personal database.

Frank, I suspect you have obtained the Dawes Card for Sarah GRANT, Chickasaw Freedman Card # 200; the mother of Lydia LOVE-JACKSON? You may or may not have a copy of her short and summarized oral interview before A.S. McKENNON of the Dawes Commission? In this document Sarah informs the commissioner her husband Calvin GRANT was deceased and since he was a non-citizen, there is no other information contained in the file regarding him.

There is one other item that might be useful to you as you perform more research on your ancestors. In Don Martini’s work “Who was Who…” the information on Benjamin LOVE indicated he had a daughter by the name of Mary Jane who married a Thomas GRANT. You will note that on Sarah’s Dawes Card she list her owner a Jane GRANT and her children list a Thomas GRANT as their owners. Typically genealogical methodology requires you to do a little research on the last slave owner and if you have an interest in the GRANT line this may be a place to look. It brings us full circle to your initial inquiry on the Chickasaw LOVE’S and the GRANT’S.

Don Martini: Who was Who Among Southern Indians a genealogical notebook 1698-1907 pp399-401

4 comments:

I'm forever grateful for the info on my great grandmother Lydia Love and Sarah Grant and I'll take it from here! Since I'm new to this forum if you will,I'm sure it is common knowledge that Indian blood was hidding ,distorted and re arranged as convenient. As an example I spoke with a person with the Chickasaw Nation regarding my g.grandmother and I told her I read part of the court case proceeding where it was stated Lydia was 75% Chickasaw and married to a white man but she was denied citizenship never the less. The point is Lydia's father (Ben Love)was dead and buried by this time (1898) as a matter of fact I believe he was murdered at least I think I read that somewhere. A conspiracy? Money talks.I'm curious to hear how some of your descendents had their Indian disconnect and were listed on the Freemen Rolls. FrankO

Dora Jackson seems to be related to Lydia Jackson possibly as her daughter. Lydia Grant's card claims she was owned by a Jane Grant, and her husband was Ben Love. I am looking for information as well on Mr. Jackson, be his name Calvin I don't know...it seems this is how I connect to these families by blood. I am of a mixed race, and black. I believe this white Scot-Irish Jackson is how I connect. The information above is very helpful. Thank you!